UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is set to face Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March and fans are a bit surprised about this matchup.
The fight will be Pereira’s fourth title defence match, and fans are eager to see him in action. After his last fight, the champ announced he would be taking some time off to rest and work out in the gym, but it seems plans have changed. Pereira said he specifically asked to face Ankalaev due to the allegations that he was avoiding a fight with him.
“I did say I wanted to take a break, but I started training again, feeling good, and started seeing my evolution,” Pereira told ESPN through a translator. “So I called my managers right away and said I want to fight, I want to fight in March, I want to fight Ankalaev.
“I know he keeps saying I’m just an employee of the UFC, I fight whenever they want, but I asked for him. I told them when I want to fight.”
Pereira acknowledges that Ankalaev will be a tough opponent for him but he is willing to take on this challenge and has been preparing for the fight.
“He’s as dangerous as any other fighter I’ve fought,” Pereira said. “Looking at him, the way that he fights, he’s an ordinary guy. Of course, he has his weapons, and he has his dangers, but I’ve been training hard. I’ve evolved a lot, and I’m ready for him.”
On Monday, Ankalaev made it clear he plans to end Pereira’s championship reign definitively. Ankalaev has had it in for the champ since his win against Adesanya and is eager to finally face him. “You just sign your death certificate.” Ankalaev posted on social media. Pereira and Ankalaev will headline the pay-per-view card on March 8 at T-Mobile Arena.
